Threshing apparatus.



UNITED STATES,`

Patented August 23, 19.14.

LEMUELy B. MACK, F WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON.

THRESHING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersateiit No. 768,472, dated August 23, 1904.

Application iiled August 18,1903. Serial No. 169,918. (No model.)

To @ZL zal/1,0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUEL B. MACK, a citizen of the United States, rresiding at Walla Walla, in the county of VVallawalla and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Threshing Apparatus, of which the following is a specicatiom Y This invention relates to threshing apparatus, and more especially to threshing apparatus of that class whichis used in connection with harvesting machineryfor the purpose of performing the cutting and threshing operations simultaneously. Y

When threshing mechanism is used in connection with cutting'apparatus, the latter is usually of that kind which is known as headers, and I have shown such 'a combined header-and threshing device in a companion A application of even date with this present ap plication. In this presen-t application I shall describe and claim the peculiar construction of the threshing mechanism which I deem most appropriate to be used in this connection and which I have practically demonstrated to be successful. y

Threshing mechanism as usually understood includes a toothed -or spiked cylinder and a similarly toothed o r spiked concave between which the grain must pass, it being thereby subjected to a violent beating Jr'or the purpose' of dislodging the grains from the heads. Such` threshing mechanism is also usually understood as comprisingseparating means whereby the grain is separated from chad and limpurities. rIhe principal objection to the use .of threshing mechanism of this class in connection with cutting apparatus is the'eXcessive power required to operate thev cutting mechanism and the threshing mechanism in conjunction with each other. While this item may be of little importance to those who own is to provide a threshing mechanism, or, perhaps, more properly a mechanism for removing the grain andchaff from the heads of the vsevered straw, which may be operated with a comparatively very slight expenditure of power, and yetin an extremely thorough and perfect manner, so that no waste shall occur.

Another object of my invention is' to provide a device of this class which shall be ineX- pensive and which may be applied to headers or other harvesting-machines of ordinary construction.' r

With these and other ends in view my invention consists `in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Inf the accompanying drawings,-Figure lis a side elevation of a portion of a cylinder constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a concave` adapted to cooperate with' said cylinder enlarged. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view showing the cylinder and concave in their related operative positions. Fig. 4. is

la ytransverse sectional detail View taken on the 3, which-support the cylindrical drum or body Il. Said drum or body is provided with ra plurality of longitudinal grooves or recesses 5, in which are seated the rubbing plates or strips 6, the faces of which'are diagonally corrugated, as shown at 7, the corrugations of alternate plates or strips being preferably in opposite'directions, as will clearly appearby reference to Fig. l of the` drawings. The

plates or strips 6 vare to be secured in the grooves 5 detachably by means of screws, bolts, or other suitable means. 4The dimensions of the related parts are such that the bodies ofv the strips or plates 6 shall be seated roo while the ribs 7, forming the corrugations, are

extended beyondthe periphery of the ungrooved portion of the cylindrical body 5. This is an important feature of the device, inasmuch as if the strips or plates, with the corrugations thereon, were secured directly upon the exterior face of the cylinder, and thus permitted to project beyond the perimeter of the cylindrical drum, the depth of the intermediate spaces, which have been designated 8, will be increased by the thickness of the plates 5, which will interfere seriously with the successful operation of the device. In other words, in order to operate successfully, the ribs which constitute the corrugations 7 must be of a certain thickness, to which must be added the thickness of the plates upon which said ribs are formed. If the combined thickness of 'the corrugations and the plates were permitted to extend beyond the perimeter of the cylinder, the intermediate spaces 8 would afford lodgement against the edges of the plates 6 for ears of grain, the presence of which in these recesses would prevent the cylinder from taking the feed with the requisite readiness and power. Thus by seating the corrugated plates or strips in recesses of the proper depth a serious source of trouble is avoided and a successfully operative device is produced.

I would have it distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the precise structural details of the cylinder which have been just set forth. Many other forms of construction might be resorted to in order to attain the desii-ed end, and I therefore reserve the right to any modifications within the scope of my invention. One such modification has been illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, by reference to which it will be seen that the plates or strips (here designated 6a) having the diagonal corrugations 7 a are struck up from plates of sheet metal and are secured directly upon the exterior face of the cylinder without previously grooving the latter. In this ease I fill the intervening spaces 8 With sheet-metal strips 8 in order that only the thickness of the corrugations 7 L shall be permitted to protrude from what may be denominated the smooth face ot` the cylinder. Very thin castings may also be employed in place of sheet metal, if preferred, the main point being that only the ribs or corrugations which are of a predetermined height exactly suited to the materialv that is to be operated upon shall be vpermitted to protrude beyond the smooth face of the cylinder.

The concave which is used in connection with my improved cylinder may be composed of a single or it may be made up of a plurality of suitablysupported strips or plates. Primarily the concave is provided with a plurality of ratchet-like ribs which are parallel to the axis of the cylinder and each of which comprises a gradually-inclined portion 9 and an abrupt wall 10. These ratchet-like ribs exA tend over the entire width ol the cancave, and the latter is provided with a plurality ol' openings, of which in the accompanying drawings three separate series have been shown. First the series of openings 1Q are disposed closely together and near the intake side of the concave, and the said openings are ol a size to extend over somewhat more than the width ol' one'of the ribs. In other words, said openings may be described as beginning adjacent to the abrupt rear wall 9 of one ol'l the ribs and extending over a space which includes the entire inclined portion of said rib, as well as the abrupt wall, and a portion of the inclined portion 9 of the rib next behind. '.lhe second series of openings l2 are separated from the` first series by several of the ribs l) lll, and these openings l2 are of a width to take in the space which would be occupied by a single rib. One or more of the inclined ribs separate this second series of openings from a third series 12b. Of this third series l have shown three rows, the width of said openings l2" being less than the width of the inclined portion 9 of one o f the ribs, and these three rows of openings are extended through three adjacent ribs, as will be clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. By this construction the cylinder coacting with the concave will draw the grain lengthwise between said cylinder and concave and the sharp-edged corrugations of the cylinder will cooperate with the inclined ribs of the concave to rub loose the grain and cause it to leave the heads, the grain and chaff finding a ready escape through the several series of openings. The reason for the exact arrangement of the openings herein shown, the larger ones being' disposed at the front, is simply this: that it is imperatively important to provide openings selliciently large to permit of the escape of grain and chaff as soon as loosened from the heads at the earliest possible stage. It important, however, that separation should continue as the operation progresses; but it becomes inrportant to gradually diminish the size ol the. openings in order that while the grain and chaff may be freely permitted to pass the straw, which at this later stage has been bruised and broken up, shall be prevented lrom passing through the concave along with the grain. This object I find is best accomplished by the herein-described construction of the concave.

The corrugations formed upon the strips or plates attached to the cylinder are preferably approximately rectangular in cross-section, as will be clearly seen in Fig. a, so that said corrugations 7 shall present sharp edges lf-t at their corners, as well as at their ends fail. These sharp edges will be found effective in feeding or drawing the grain between the cylinder and concave, and inasmuch as these edges in lOO llO

the course of time are apt to become dulled/y the strips or plates 6, upon which they are f formed,K4 may, when desired, be simply re-A versed end for `end in order that the edges heretofore not exposed may be brought-into Y effective use. The life of thecylinder is thereby largely increased.

It will be understood that by my improved construction the threshing or removal of the grains from the heads is.mainlyaccomplished by the concave, the cylinder acting principally in the nature of a feeder, 'whereby the grain will be drawn between the coacting surfaces of lthe cylinder and concave, which cooperate,

operated at a speed,and consequently at an expense of power, which is greatly in excess of that required by my invention. Again, owing to the absence of high speed, there will be less jolting, and my improved threshing mechanism being made of an extreme width to occupy the entire width of the harvesting-machine with which it is in practice connected, the absence of teeth is a very important item, for the reason that teeth when present in threshing apparatus of this class are apt not only to be bent or broken either' by heavy weeds which may be intermixed with the'grain, but even when the grain itself is exceptionally heavy. Similarly when much jolting is experienced it often happens that the teeth of the cylinder and the concave when present will strike against each other, and thus disable the apparatus.

I desire it to be understood that the construction of the concave, as well as that of the of the machine in which it is used; but such details are mostly within theprovince of the lskilled mechanic and have not been shown in detail in the accompanying drawings.

The shaft of the cylinder is journaled eccentrically in sleeves 16, which are mounted' in boxings 17 a-nd which are provided at their ends with cranks 18, whereby the bearingsleeves 16 may be turned, so as to adjust the position of the cylinder-shaft and the cylinderv with relation to the concave. It is important that, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the perimeter of the cylinder at the receiving end should be spacedfrom the concave in excess fof the spacing at the discharge end.v Thus in operation the grain passing between the cylinder and the concave will be subjected to a `rubbing action, which is found extremely .effective in removing all the grain from theheads, it lbeing practically impossible for even "a single grain to escape at the discharge bey `tween the cylinder and concave. This arrangement is alsov important, for the reason ,that at the intake end the heads of grain will be bunched together, While as the grain and chaff is gradually removed from the same at the discharge end the body of material to be operated upon by the threshing mechanism is considerably reduced. Consequently by spacing the cylinder and the -concave close together at the discharge end heads containing even a few grains will still be operated upon, with the result that practically all the grain is extracted and permitted to escape through the openings in the concave prior to leaving the threshing mechanism. Means -for disposing of the grain and chaff will ofcourse be located beneath the concave; but such means are well known and will-not be further described in this application. v

Onevor both of the adjusting-cranks 18 of the cylinder are to be connected with link-rods 18, reaching to a point convenient to the operator of Athe machine carrying my improved threshing mechanism in order that adjustment ofthe cylinder may be effected at any' 4 timeaccording tothe condition of the grain which is being operated upon.

I desire it to be understood that while I have in the foregoing described a simple and preferred form of my invention I do not by any means confine myself to` the structural detailsv herein set forth, but vreserve-the right to any changes, alterations, vand modifications 105.

IIO

tions, the size of the perforations in said series decreasing from the intake end discharge end of the concave. EZ.v A concave having aplurality of ratchetlike ribs and a plurality of series of perforations, the perforations of the series nearest the intake end being of a'width exceeding that of a single ratchet-like rib, the perforations of the second series being of a width corresponding to the width of one of the ratchet-like ribs, and the perforations near the discharge end being of a width less than that of a single ratchet-like rib.

3. A- threshing-cylinder comprising abody having spaced rows of sharp-edged oblique ribs, the Obliquity of adjacent rows being reverse, the bottom of the spaces between the toward the ribs being of the same curvature as the cylinder and at the same radial distance from its central line as its surface, in combination with a coacting concave having a plurality of ratchet-like sharpfedged ribs parallel to the 5 axis of the cylinder, said concave being disposed eecentrically with relation to the cylinder, said cylinder and concave being' spaced farther apart at the intake than at the discharge end, and said concave being provided IO at the intake end with openings of a length exceeding` the width of the ratchet-like ribs and at the discharge end with openings ol a length less than the width of said ribs.

ln testimony that l claim the Yforegoing :1s my ownl have hereto aiiixed lny signature in 15 the presence of two witnesses.

LEMUEL B. MACK. Witnesses:

D. MoCULLnY, R. B. MI'renELL. 

